Sick, injured, and generally unwell employees are something your business wants to avoid. By putting effort into improving employee wellness, you’ll encourage teamwork and productivity, reduce sick leave, and experience fewer workplace accidents.
Stuck on ideas? Check out these effective ways to improve employee health.
Focus on Prevention
General prevention is crucial for stopping injuries and illnesses before they start.
Determine what’s impacting your employee’s health. Do they take regular time off for colds, the flu, and other preventable illnesses? Arrange onsite flu vaccinations, or refund employees who get vaccinated in their spare time.
Are workplace injuries common? Review safety procedures, and make sure your employees have access to basic first aid equipment, like Band-Aids, cleansing wipes, cotton swabs, and more.
Encourage Healthy Eating Habits
Healthy, nutritious eating lowers the risk of developing certain diseases, like diabetes and cancer, and improves general productivity.
Provide a fridge, so employees can store homemade, healthy meals. Fast, quick, and easy meals — like ramen, fast food, and chips — aren’t healthy, but when there’s nowhere to store anything, employees tend to rely on them.
If you have stocked fridges or vending machines, fill them with healthy options. For food, try nuts, fruit, raisins, pretzels, and baked chips. Drink options can include water, tea, milk, fruit juice, and black coffee.
If you’re hosting an event with catering, restrict unhealthy menu options. Offer items like baked chicken, salmon, rice, and plenty of vegetables. For dessert, try healthier alternatives, like gelato or oatmeal cookies.
Reduce Sitting Time
Are your employees desk bound? A sedentary lifestyle can lead to excruciating back pain and makes people more likely to develop heart disease.
Install better, comfortable chairs. To encourage activity, consider getting standing desks or cycle chairs.
Give your employees time to stand, stretch, and walk around. Make it into an office activity. Have office-wide yoga classes, stretching routines, and other simple activities.
If physical activity is limited by time, space, or something else, you can help your employees improve their posture. Sitting tall is healthier than slouching and can reduce soreness and back pain.
Offer Mental Health Resources
Another way to improve the health of your employees is to offer comprehensive resources for individuals struggling with their mental health.
Physical illness is bad for morale and productivity, but so is poor, untreated mental health. Support employees with mental health problems, like depression and anxiety, by creating a company-wide mental health plan.
Reduce the stigma. Encourage positive communication and have strategies in place to prevent bullying or unprofessional conduct.
Run a weekly meditation course or have a professional talk to your employees about stress reduction techniques.
If your employees are struggling to afford a counselor, help them out. Offering rebates on a portion of their therapy session removes money from the equation, making them much more likely to get the counseling they need.
